Tricking and Treating…

I did not grow up with Halloween. Our perception of Halloween came from the shows on television which you may realize is a little skewed since movies surrounding Halloween are a little scary. The novelty of Halloween has not worn off since I have been in the USA and truth be told having kids makes Halloween all the more exciting. We love the excitement building around the day.

There are few things I focus on for the day:

The costume

Having girls means it is a challenge coming out with a costume looking like it was meant for a kid and not sensuous. Seriously whoever designs these costumes for little girls need some serious talking to. I am not one who loves doling out the dollar bills for a costume (and costumes do cost an arm and a leg) but since my girls love to play dress up I am ok with buying a costume. I was hoping for something different this year and was excited when my 7 year old chose a spy costume. Of course adventure always lands in my home but sadly a (complete) costume not always. Tracking and tracing we did not find the rest of the costume and a hat does not a complete costume make. Of course the costume was now sold out in every size. The backup costume of a princess did not diminish the enthusiasm of my girl, and honestly I could not say the same for me as I have been still spying eBay sites in hope of buying it for next year.

My 5 year old chose a pink Crayola crayon! Could I love it anymore than I already do? The simplicity of it and the cuteness of it was not wasted on the teachers who got to see her parade in it today. They’re just costumes yet to see them brim with pride I understand how they don a level of confidence each time they wear it. I realize, while I may not have childhood memories of Halloween, I am making ones for my children which will be shared for as long as they live.

I also took the time to invest in good treat bags personalized for them several years ago and it was a smart decision because I am never scuttling around to find something each year. It is a bonus that they are cute spider bags.

The decorations

We are minimalists aka lazy decorators. This may be because of my forgetting to take down the holiday lights until spring. Also, I don’t like the overdone decorations and my home is small so I have to keep it tasteful. I also am a practical girl thanks to my engineering background so something better be functional too. This year I have only one “decoration” up and it was all I needed. It happens to a be a Shadows & Shrieks Witch’s Hat Door Décor. This has been so much fun for kids coming to my home for the past several weeks but tonight I cannot wait to see everyone’s face light us as they see the witch come alive. I think our neighborhood needed this as we were without electricity for 2 days thanks toHurricane Sandy.

The treats

This year I am giving lil trinkets to trick or treaters. I figure I won’t have to deal with the candy leftover and only the candy my kids collect. I get to see kids gets excited over things like spider rings and can see them mentally make a note of which house they are definitely stopping at next year. Of course this year I am going to surprise my girls by making cupcakes too. Because I don’t make a huge fuss over occasions I know they will be surprised to see it. Plus each year I add to the tradition so they have some things that are unexpected and some not.

The activities

Our local schools do a Halloween parade and invite us to be out cheering for them. This is the first year I actually made it to watch the parade. As you can see your child scan the faces to find out if her people are there, it is relief to actually be there as I know many parents can’t make it. Chopping and changing the schedule feels so stressful, especially with being at 2 different schools but the look on their face tells you it is so worth it.

At home we trick or treat in the neighborhood where we know almost everyone (something I love about living in the ‘burbs) and each year we go to more houses. I recall the days of taking them around in the wagon when they were little. To be fair dad is normally the one who did that while I was left home doling out the goodies.

Halloween, making sweet memories each year! What a treat!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, and part of me being a “Hallmark, Life is a special occasion ambassador”. Personally loving the opportunity to share a window to my life.